HURRICANE!
by ULYFERAL
Summary: A sequel to Music Soothes the Soul. A hurricane whips through Megakat City causing major damage and havoc. The SWAT Kats and the enforcers work together to save their city.
1. Chapter 1

**HURRICANE!!!!**

Chapter 1: The Warning

_**Author's Note: Well this started as something entirely different but when I began to write it, soon became a piece on pulling together to fight nature's fury and using Feral's talent during a dangerous situation. I wasn't planning a sequel to MUSIC SOOTHES THE SOUL but this sort of wrote itself. Hope you like it.**_

Some weeks after they had learned of Feral's unique talent, a terrifying incident occurred that forced him to reveal his musical ability. His soothing voice and a borrowed guitar helped to ease the terror of a trapped group of kittens and their caretakers and kept them all calm until rescue could free them.

After the Pastmaster had been routed, the omegas seemed to have chosen to lay low leaving the city with a breathing space of relative peace. The Katizens used the time to repair their city yet again.

As Feral looked out his office window, he sighed and enjoyed the rare moment of quiet he'd been needing for a while. There had been some gangland activity but the local police had been able to handle it. And though he was loathe to admit it, he was glad the SWAT Kats' regular patrols dissuaded any criminal from thinking of causing trouble. The temporary peace allowed him to get some badly needed training done, repair jets and ground equipment, and give his enforcers much needed down time.

What no one had counted on was mother nature deciding to cause her share of chaos. The weather had been fairly calm for days except for being unusually hot and sticky, the air still, and the sky a gray pall over it without any sign of rain except for bouts of heat lightning.

James Katterbee of the Megakat Weather Bureau had become alarmed as satellite images warned of a major weather pattern heading their way. He got on the phone and called the country just south of them where the storm was passing over at that moment. The answer he got to his questions made him turn pale. Hanging up, he quickly got on the phone to the Mayor's office. The Mayor wasn't in but he did get to talk to the deputy mayor.

"Ms. Briggs, how can I help you?" Calico Briggs asked, sighing mentally. Another problem she did not need right now. There was still a lot of work to do in fixing the city and a new problem she really didn't need right now.

"Yes ma'am. This is James Katterbee of the Megakat Weather Bureau. I'm informing you of a category three hurricane heading toward Megakat City. I just contacted Sandeval Bay and they are suffering its affects right now."

Callie sat up straighter and looked quickly out the window. All she saw was the solid gray day that they'd been having for the past forty-eight hours. "You're certain of this? What kind of damage is it doing?"

Katterbee's voice was grim. "Yes ma'am, quite certain. I have satellite confirmation besides the report from the Sandeval Weather Bureau. What's happening is major flooding, severe structure damage, over one hundred dead at last count, and one whole section of the city was leveled by it."

Now it was Callie's turn to go pale. "How much time do we have before it gets here?" She said tightly, beginning to take notes as he relayed what steps needed to be taken now. When she hung up the phone, she sat there for a long moment trying to order her thoughts. The disaster heading for them was nearly as bad as the mutated swamp Dr. Viper had flooded the city with. This sounded like it would be as if all three of their worst omegas attacked at once.

Biting her lip, she picked up her phone and called Enforcer Headquarters.

"Feral!" Came the familiar deep tones of the Commander.

"Commander Feral, Briggs here. I need you to have someone collect the Mayor from the golf course asap and you need to come to his office immediately. We need to declare a state of emergency. I 've just been informed that a category three hurricane is heading our way and we have only thirty-six hours to initiate our emergency procedures." She said urgently.

Feral let out a breath of anguish. This just couldn't come at a worst time. They hadn't recovered completely from the last disaster and this one sounded far worse than all the others before it. Just for a brief moment, he truly wished he could go far away from all the stress but the moment passed and he told her he'd be there immediately.

Before leaving though, he summoned his second in command and called down to the desk sergeant to have a car sent to get the Mayor and inform him of a crisis that needed a state of emergency declared. When his second arrived, he briefed him swiftly on what was happening and ordered a recall of all personnel immediately then he left for city hall.

When he parked in front of city hall, Mayor Manx was just arriving too by enforcer cruiser, siren wailing. He looked put out as he climbed out of the car, slinging his golf bag over his shoulder.

"Feral what is this nonsense about needing to declare a state of emergency?" He growled irritably.

"Ms. Briggs summoned me as well, Mayor. I suggest we go and see her now. I will tell you that we've been notified of a major hurricane heading our way." Feral told him flatly as he hustled the Mayor into the building then to the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor.

"A hurricane? That's crazy!" Manx snapped.

Feral just shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't about to get into it with the Mayor until he heard all the facts for himself.

Manx led the way from the elevator, stomping angrily down the hall and thumping his golf bag down near the door of his office.

Callie was waiting for them and before the Mayor could start ranting, she just jumped in. After ten minutes of briefing him on what was coming, the Mayor turned white and barely made it to his desk chair to sit down.

"That's terrible. My poor citae! Yes institute a state of emergency.....do whatever you have to! Get on it! Hurry!" He gabbled in fear.

Feral and Callie glanced at each other and simply told the overwrought and frightened city leader, they would take care of it and adjourned to Callie's office to talk.

"I'll alert the media and have them blitz the airwaves with the news and have them start up the emergency broadcasting system then I'll institute the evacuation plan for the coastal area." Callie said briskly.

Feral nodded. "I've already begun a recall of all my personnel. As soon as I have my troops ready, I'll send them to the coastal areas to get people out of there. The sports dome is the main evacuation point and its a good thing the roof had been reinforced since the attack by Turmoil last year. Other areas of relative safety will be the subways, basements of building on high ground, as well as the Megakat Tunnel which I'll have traffic halted to make it safer for those caught outside. Speaking of traffic, once the alert goes out expect it to be snarled and backed up royally as people escape further inland. The enforcers are going to be maxed out to their limit as will the police forces handling the subsequent mess and getting people moving quickly." He said grimly.

Callie sighed and grimaced at the image Feral had invoked. "Yes, its going to be tough on everyone. I just hope we get through it without too much loss of life. Anything else?" She asked, jotting down everything Feral had mentioned. Most of this was in the plan but it was quicker getting the immediate information from one who knew the city's safe zones better than any other. Mentally, she made a list of people she needed to contact.

"Yes, contact the SWAT Kats." Feral said grimly.

Callie just gaped at him. "What?"

Feral sighed in annoyance. "Do you think I didn't notice that every time you are in trouble, that those two just 'happen' to show up? Give me some credit. I know you must have some way to contact them. That jet of theirs is able to withstand being in space so it should handle storm conditions of this magnitude. I feel they can help by monitoring the hurricane's progress and give us an early warning and they can also go out far enough to see if a surge is headed our way. That surge can destroy the whole coast line and flood the area for miles. All we can do is insure the people in those areas are out but that takes time, which the SWAT Kats can give us by watching how close its getting to us."

She looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. She never thought of him as competent but she forgot that in normal emergencies and against normal enemies, he was very smart and capable in dealing with them and did his job well. It was the omegas that showed him in such a bad light but, if she was honest, it was really because of the shortage of good quality equipment and better training of his troops that was the true culprit.

After this emergency, she would have to significantly alter her thinking and how she dealt with the Commander. Shaking off her surprise, she simply nodded in agreement. "You are absolutely right. Do you want me to tell them that or would you prefer they contact you and get exactly what you want?" She asked seriously.

Pleased that she was going to cooperate with him, he said, "Have them come to Enforcer Headquarters. I'll have them escorted to my office. I'm going to be very busy too you know."

"Understood! I'll contact them as soon as I can." She promised.

Feral nodded and prepared to leave but she stopped him.

"Commander!"

"Yes?" He asked, looking back at her.

"This is going to be worse than anything we've dealt with before....I....." She began fearfully but couldn't finish.

He looked at her and his eyes warm with understanding. "I know, Callie. I'm scared too. When you first told me, my first reaction was to wish I was elsewhere. Trust me.....I feel the same as you. The next few days are going to be really bad. Keep your head about you and stay safe. Remember, this time the SWAT Kats might not be able to come to your rescue......nor can I." He said quietly.

She straightened her shoulders and gave him a steady look. Feral's honesty and understanding helped her regain her courage. "Thank you. I know we've not gotten along that well, but I do respect you, believe me. I'll stay here and coordinate everything, someone has too. Have everything come through me because, you know where he'll be!" She murmured that last, softly.

They traded a smirk at that remark, knowing just how much of a coward the Mayor was and how useless he would be during this emergency.

"Anyway, I'll stay safe and will send the Mayor off to his estate, but you do likewise. Everything could fall apart if you are lost." She said sincerely.

Feral flashed her a small smile. "I'll certainly try to keep my hide intact." With that he quickly left for his office. He had a great deal to do.

Sighing, Callie went into the Mayor's office and wasn't surprised to find his honor under his desk. It took her precious minutes to pull him out and then shove him out the door. It didn't take much to get him to give her command of the emergency while he escaped to his home. Once he was gone, she sat down at her desk and began to set the Megakat City Emergency Weather Plan into action. Once she got the major players notified, she pulled her communicator from her purse and called the SWAT Kats.

In their garage, the alert phone rang. Jake was the closest and grabbed it.

"Razor here! What's up Ms. Briggs?"

"Razor, I've just been notified of a category three hurricane heading our way. A state of emergency has been declared and evacuation plans have begun for people living near the bay. Commander Feral requests your aid in helping to monitor the hurricane and the level of a surge that's expected. Please go see him at Enforcer Headquarters asap. He's expecting you and will have you escorted to his office. Do you copy?" She quickly briefed him.

Jake blinked in shock and glanced out the door of the garage. He frowned at the deepening gray of the sky. His coveralls already stuck to his sweaty body as the temps climbed.

"Roger, Ms. Briggs. We copy. We'll be off as soon as we secure our place too." Razor promised.

"Understood and Razor?"

"Yes?"

"Please, be careful.....both of you!" She said worriedly.

"We will and you to." Jake assured her then hung up.

Chance stared at his friend worriedly. "A storm of that magnitude could completely trash the yard, Jake. But even worse than that, it can send shrapnel for miles and hurt people." He said in concern.

"I know but the only thing we can do is scrounge all the tarps and nets we've got around here and cover all the piles and secure everything else in lockers. We haven't got a lot of time." Jake said worriedly as he turned away from the garage and headed for the ladder leading down to their hangar.

Chance was on his heels as they moved to their storage area. "I can't believe Feral is actually asking for us."

"This is going to be really bad, buddy. I think Feral is just trying to cover all bases to ensure the city comes out of this in one piece." Jake said distractedly. "And we better contact him to say we're securing our area and will be there as soon as we have."

Chance just grunted in agreement as he began to pull netting and tarps out then dragging them back outside.

When Jake contacted the Commander through their radio and told him they were securing their home, Feral simply acknowledged the message and sent back that they needed to get done quickly and report as fast as they could. Jake acknowledged the urgency then rejoined Chance as they began to secure the salvage the best they could then their garage and apartment. They pulled the tow truck in and sent it down into the hangar while parking cars they were working on inside the garage. They closed the gates and locked them tight.

With their home and salvage yard as secure as they could make it, they went down into the hangar. After changing into their costumes, Razor insisted on loading emergency equipment. They packed more ropes, a rescue basket, first aid, flashlights, blankets, jumpseats (in case they had to ferry people to safety, extra communication equipment, shovels, and anything else Razor thought they might need.

Two hours after they received the alert, they finally arrived on the Enforcer flight line. Parking near the end of the apron, they hopped out of the jet and were met by Feral's assistant, Sgt Fallon. In quick fashion, they were escorted to the Commander's office.

Feral was in the midst of briefing his squadron commanders. The SWAT Kats came in and took up a position near the windows and listened quietly.

"That's it. Get to your posts and stay in constant communication." Feral finished his briefing.

The officers frowned in surprise at the presence of the SWAT Kats but hurried out without a word being spoken in their direction.

"Alright, SWAT Kats, here's what I'd like you to do. Your jet is stronger than any of mine so I need you to do some storm watching. Keep an eye on how close the hurricane is to our shores and especially watch for a storm surge. I want to know how soon the surge might reach our shores and where you think the hurricane might come inland. Keep in constant radio contact with my tower. I'll give you a specific frequency to use. Any questions?" Feral asked briefly.

"No questions! I do want to say, we will render aid if we're able. Either, when you call for it or if we see it. I've made sure we're loaded with emergency supplies and we can ferry people to safety in a pinch." Razor said gravely.

Feral nodded. "Glad to know it and it will be appreciated but don't forget your primary duty is to give as much warning as possible of the storms approach."

"Understood. What's the frequency?" T-Bone asked, preparing to leave.

Feral gave it to them and went back to his coordination work without noting their departure. Sgt Fallon escorted them back out and soon the Turbokat was in the air and heading to the coordinates of the storm.


	2. Chapter 2

**HURRICANE!!!!**

Chapter 2: Preparations

It took T-Bone nearly an hour to reach the edge of the approaching storm. They had come in at a high altitude of some 24,000 ft before beginning to drop to approximately 10,000 ft and slowing to about 180 knots.

Razor kept a close eye on his Doppler radar watching for any thunderstorms that could ruin his equipment. No sense looking for trouble as they got closer to the monster heading toward them.

Below the ocean was violently agitated. White caps, patches of foam, spray: each hint at the power of the furious winds spiraling around this dangerous hurricane.

They stay on the perimeter of the storm. The buffeting was intense, both beginning to feel like tennis balls within the cockpit. The sudden dips and lurches weren't very nice to Razor's stomach but he grit his teeth and ignored it.

"Make a wide swing around the storm, T-Bone. Let's go see the damage at Sandeval Bay." Razor ordered his friend.

"Roger."

It takes them another hours flight before they reach Sandeval Bay. The storm has only recently left their shores some two hours before. The devastation silences the pair as T-Bone slowly passes over the coastline.

Sandeval Bay was more like an island than the huge inland city of Megakat. Much more of it pushed out into the ocean itself. Most of the land formed a crescent moon shape before gradually moving inland to a heavily forested area. Because if its more sloping coastline the storm was able to flood the whole crescent area of land and the destruction was total. Not a building was left standing.

It seemed so wrong for the sun to be shining through departing clouds and casting its bright light on the ruined coastline. As they swept over the forest and to the rest of the city laying beyond the trees, they were disheartened to see that the storm had wrought just as much damage here. Hundreds of trees had been struck down, a whole tract of homes was nothing but a debris field, many of their proud high rises had their windows completely shattered, their proud sports arena had its roof peeled off completely, and the airport had many of their pleasure planes tipped over or slammed into hangars and other planes. In the bay, various pleasure craft had been flung as far as the tree line.

The SWAT Kats were sick at heart, seeing this much devastation and loss of life and property. Sandeval Bay would take a long time to recover.

"Better get back to the storm, buddy." Razor said quietly.

T-Bone said nothing as he turned their jet back toward the storm. They were once more hit with hard turbulence, blinding rain, and lightning an hour later. Only the pilot's nimble flying kept them from having all their electronics shorted out. It didn't hurt that Razor had insulated them a bit more than usual after the last lightning strike had sent them to another dimension.

T-Bone circled the angry whirling spout of water again to get to the other side. Razor took readings and monitored the hurricanes speed and strength.

"Damn, this thing is strong and doesn't look to be losing any strength before hitting land again." He said tightly.

"Wish we could bust it up!" T-Bone gritted as he continued to struggle with his controls.

"Yeah, me too. We could hope the thing turns away from us or loses some steam......." Razor sighed, not sounding too upbeat about it.

For the next exhausting four hours, the SWAT Kats kept ahead of the storm. It wasn't looking good. The storm failed to alter course more than a few miles and was still heading straight for Megakat City. It was still too soon to determine where it would hit land.

"Razor, we need to make a fuel stop!" T-Bone warned his partner.

"Yeah, okay! I'll notify Feral. I suspect he'll supply us with some fuel." Razor said distractedly.

He was monitoring the rising water below them. The swells were reaching truly dangerous levels. Some were already nine feet. He contacted the enforcer tower and was given the green light to land and fuel. He passed the message to T-Bone and felt the jet head for a higher altitude and pick up speed.

At the more peaceful altitude, T-Bone was able to make good time to reach the city. Very soon, he was putting the jet on VTOL and dropping them to the enforcer flight line. Ground crews signaled him to a nearby hangar to refuel. There, they were met by Feral.

The Commander looked harried and irritable but surprisingly he was only brisk and impersonal with them.

"Report!"

"The storm is still heading toward us at about 121 mph. The storm surge is already at nine feet and showing no signs of slowing down. I would estimate it will reach us in about another twenty-four hours." Razor told him grimly.

Feral face drooped with dismay at the news but it wasn't unexpected.

"We went over to Sandeval Bay to get a look at the damage." Razor continued.

Feral felt his stomach tighten, though he couldn't see Razor's eyes, the small body told him the SWAT Kat was badly upset. Razor quickly briefed him on the damage and soon he was feeling the same way as the SWAT Kat, this was going to be really bad for them with their greater population.

"There is some good news, Commander." The smaller of the SWAT Kats said flatly.

"Oh really? I could use some." Feral said drolly.

"Our bay is not as sloped as Sandeval Bay is which means our flooding hopefully will be confined to just the coast line with mild to moderate flooding in the city due to the heavy rains." Razor said.

"Ah, that is some good news alright." Feral sighed then noted his ground crew was done. "Time for you to head out again. Need a brief personal break first?" He asked politely.

The two paused a moment, then realized it could be a long time before they hit landfall again.

"Guess we better accept that offer, Commander." T-Bone said reluctantly.

Feral just nodded and signaled his assistant. "Sergeant, take them to the cafeteria and see that they get some food and whatever else they need and return them here."

The Sergeant saluted and headed off across the hangar floor with the SWAT Kats following.

Less than forty-five minutes later, they were refreshed and heading back out into the dark sky. As they passed over the city, T-Bone let out a low whistle.

"Crud, do you see that down there, buddy?"

Razor glanced out his window and saw the main freeways of the city heavily clogged with cars. "Poor Feral, that is a real mess. Hope they can get it cleared out soon. I'm afraid Megakat Bridge might end up being a casualty soon."

"Wonderful! At least I don't think any of the omegas will be climbing out of their holes during this. Even as insane as Dark Kat is, even he isn't that crazy." T-Bone commented.

Suddenly his partner laughed.

"What?" T-Bone asked in confusion.

"I just had a mental image of Dr. Viper and the swamp he lives in. The storm is going to make a complete mess of that area and cause mega flooding. Wouldn't be surprised if he gets washed out." Razor smirked.

"Hehheh! Couldn't happen to a more deserving Kat." T-Bone snorted humorously.

Meanwhile back in the city, Feral was about ready to pull his fur out by the pawfuls. His troops were getting flak from Katizens not willing to evacuate. Since a hurricane hadn't occurred for a couple of decades, many just didn't believe one was on its way, much less that it could be that much of a problem.

He was at a loss as to how to deal with this until he remembered what Razor had reported to him an hour before. Contacting the SWAT Kats, he had them return to Sandeval Bay and take photos and transmit them back to him. They were understandably reluctant to waste fuel until Feral told them of his problem.

Disgusted with their fellow Katizens, they agreed to do as asked. More than an hour later, photos poured into Feral's communication center. He immediately contacted the news stations and transmitted the photos and demanded an immediate dissemination of them as well as bringing them up-to-date on the threat. Soon the airwaves were inundated with the actual photos of the devastation at Sandeval Bay. Razor had also sent shots of the hurricane in all its glory. If that didn't shift the stubborn ones then their lives were their own since Feral wouldn't waste anymore time on them.

Some ten hours later, the freeways were finally clear of traffic and so was the city. It felt rather eerie seeing the empty streets. Feral's enforcers had been putting up sandbag barriers across all the low areas leading into the city proper. Like the SWAT Kats, he suspected the Megakat Bridge might not survive the coming storm.

He had done his best to insure places like the nuclear power plant, Pumadyne, MASA and the refineries had prepared their facilities against storm damage.

In her office, Callie had done her best to field the myriad of calls her office received from the high society of the city's wealthy sect. She didn't waste too much time soothing them as she had far too much else to take care of.

She'd just received reports that most of the coastal area had been evacuated and the displaced Katizens were at the sports arenas, schools, and other large buildings that could safely hold them until the storm was over. The hospitals were staffed and ready and the airport had landed all their flights and warned off arriving ones. If possible, they sent their planes to distant airports to spare them any damage. Large freighters had done the same from the bay.

Callie was especially concerned about any oil tankers either heading for Megakat City or sitting at port. She did her best to get the Maritime Agency to get them out of port as fast as possible.

By six p.m. that evening, the city looked like a ghost town. She and Feral with the SWAT Kats met at city hall to eat a meal, rest, and trade reports.

"Well, we've done everything we possibly can. It's just a waiting game now." Feral sighed as he finished his sandwich.

"You're right there. T-Bone and I are going to get a couple hours of shuteye then head out again." Razor said, picking up his drink and downing half of it in one go. He was dry from being in the cockpit for nearly ten hours.

"Good idea guys. Think I will to. I know its hard for you, Commander, but you better to." Callie admonished Feral.

"I will, if you will." He grunted, tirededly.

"Promise." She sighed, stretching and standing.

They tossed their trash and parted. Each ones thoughts on the nightmare to come. They might not get a rest again for days after this.


	3. Chapter 3

**HURRICANE!!!!**

Chapter 3: The Storm Hits

"T-Bone, back to the hangar, the Turbokat can't handle this!" Razor shouted over the roar of the wind buffeting them.

"Believe me, Razor, I'm trying. We're being bounced like a ball and its hard to control the stick." T-Bone shouted back as he fought his controls and tried to bring the jet lower and head it to their hangar but it was becoming a nearly impossible feat since the wind was against them.

"We're not far from Enforcer Headquarters, try for their flight line since its in the direction of the wind!" Razor said urgently as he heard their jet groan around them alarmingly. Visuals were nearly impossible because of the driving rain. His instruments were being affected by the constant bouts of lightning they could no longer avoid.

"Mayday, mayday.......this is the SWAT Kats! Must land now.......request permission to land on your flight line!" Razor called urgently to the enforcer's control tower.

The hurricane had hit with savagery unmatched from any previous one in history. The SWAT Kats had been just ahead of it and felt helpless as they watched it smash into the part of the coast where the refineries were and further back the nuclear reactor.

By the time it had hit landfall it was going at 135 mph and the storm surge ahead of it topped a mighty 14 feet, slamming into the coast and shooting waves over the banks and into the row of expensive houses just 50 yards up from the beach sweeping them away.

The hurricane winds roared so loudly, people were deafened as they fled before it or huddled in their homes or shelters in terror. The rain hammered and flooded the streets, quickly overwhelming the storm drains. Lightning flashed here and there adding to the chaos. High winds ripped trees from the ground and roofs from houses.

The SWAT Kats had been rescuing enforcers and other volunteer personnel from areas that had been cut off suddenly as the onslaught of the storm hit. They had just ferried a large group of volunteers shoring up barriers of sand to a safe area and were returning toward an emergency staging area to see if they could be of help when the high winds of the hurricane made flying impossible.

Now T-Bone was doing all he could to stay aloft and find a place to land quickly before his jet was taken apart around them.

The tower notified Feral, the SWAT Kats were requesting permission to land.

"Sir, the SWAT Kats are declaring an emergency and requesting landing permission on our flight line!" The control tower supervisor reported.

Feral turned around to squint out his window. He could barely make out the Turbokat as it struggled to reach his flight line.

"Permission granted! Have them taxi into the hangar and have someone escort them to my office."

"Yes sir." The supervisor acknowledged then turned to his radio. "SWAT Kats, permission to land granted. You'll pull into the hangar once you're down."

"Thank god!" Razor muttered to himself. "Roger tower!" He answered and held on as T-Bone continued to struggle to get the jet over the flight line and land it. Going to VTOL, T-Bone found himself being swept to the side away from the landing field. The strong winds causing wind shear across the deck.

Gritting his teeth, he fought the stick and managed to pull the Turbokat back to the flight line but just barely.

The landing wasn't as smooth as he normally managed but the burly pilot was just glad to be down at all. Ahead, the huge hangar doors were opening. He taxied toward them but it was a struggle here as well as high winds threatened to sweep the jet from its hard fought landing surface.

T-Bone paws were getting tired as he fought to keep the jet on course for the hangar, fighting the wind every inch of the way. Finally, he passed the doors and was inside. Behind them the huge hangar doors whined and groaned alarmingly as they struggled against the wind to close. The wind screamed through the hangar sweeping loose equipment across the floor as well as ground crew. The doors finally shut, stunning their ears with the sudden near quiet.

T-Bone sighed in relief when the doors boomed shut. Only then did he slide the canopy open so that he and Razor could leave the cockpit.

"That was some flying, SWAT Kat, " Sgt Fallon said in admiration. "Almost looked like you were going to go splat or be swept off the flight line."

"I'm not ashamed to say it was a very near thing that we didn't " T-Bone said grimly.

"I bet, come on! I'm supposed to escort you to the Commander's office." Sgt Fallon said, leading the way across the hangar space toward the pilot's area and on to the elevator bank.

Feral was heading down to the lower area of the part of the building that held his office and control tower and was heading for the twin tower across the way. The SWAT Kats with Sgt Fallon managed to catch up with him.

"Since we're grounded, where else can we be of use?" T-Bone immediately asked before Feral could speak.

He nodded his head at their willingness. He was definitely going to need them. "I'm heading for the vehicle storage area. We're going by tank to check the levees." He said, stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for the basement tunnel access floor.

"We getting a tank to ourselves?" Razor asked, wondering if Feral trusted them enough.

Sighing, he looked at them both. After a long moments thought, he said, "Yes, we need as many people out here we can and I'm already stretched to the limit for Katpower."

The pair just nodded in understanding, refraining from any kind of snide remarks since they were all in the same boat right now. They had come to an unspoken agreement to cease hostilities between them during this crisis.

The doors opened and they quickly hurried toward the tunnel entrance that lead to the other tower. In very little time, four tanks were trundling slowly down the empty streets. Over the next four hours, they stopped and checked various levees and canals. Some were already overwhelmed with water and Feral ordered the volunteers and enforcers to pull back since nothing more could be done.

Not far from the water treatment plant, the water runoff channels were overrun with too much water. It ran over the roads, bogging vehicles down and forcing the drivers to abandon them. The tanks had to carefully navigate through the water and around the trapped cars. They were passing an area that was considered safe from the water but proved not to be safe from the battering winds.

Many trees had collapsed on buildings here and there. A school had been the victim of such an event. Feral ordered the group to halt. He wanted to check and see if anyone was in the school at all since a lot of the schools were being used as shelters.

The tree had collapsed one section of the school but the rest seemed intact. The wind screamed around them. There was very little water here despite the heavy rains. It only made it soggy walking to a side entrance of the school.

The noise of the storm was so loud they couldn't communicate except by helmet radios. The door to the school was unlocked and they struggled to open it against the wind and enter.

Feral, the SWAT Kats and six enforcers pushed into the building. Many windows had already been blown out on the main floor.

"If there's anyone here, they should be in the basement." Feral said in his radio. "Sgt Fallon, take four troops with you and double check the this floor and upstairs. Be careful and be alert."

Sgt Fallon acknowledged and took off down the hall.

"Let's go find the basement and check it out." Feral told the others still with him.

After a few minutes search they found the basement entrance and made their way down. The electricity was out so it was fairly dark. Using flashlights they carefully made it down the stairs.

The basement turned out to compartmentalized into various areas; the furnace room, the water plant, storage rooms and, surprisingly, a large assembly area apparently for bad weather days. It was here they discovered a small crowd of people with kittens.

The adults had set up a comfortable area with blankets, chairs, and exercise mats for them to lay on. Boxes were stacked over to one side against a wall. They had been using flashlights to hold back the dark and keep the kittens from being frightened. Unfortunately, the flashlights were starting to fail. They were relieved to see Feral and the SWAT Kats and came up to them, talking all at once.

"Easy, easy......everyone calm down. Are there any injured here?" Feral barked loudly to get their attention.

"No sir. We've been lucky." One of the adults spoke up.

"Good. Well right now........." Feral began to say when a shout came over his radio then running feet and lights came rushing toward them.

"Commander!" Sgt Fallon shouted and then was drowned out by a huge roar of noise and the ground shook hard.

Screaming filled the air and dust and debris fell from the ceiling as the roar drowned even that out. Feral, enforcers, and the SWAT Kats, quickly gathered the Kats and shoved them back toward their small sanctuary and huddled there, unable to do anything else.

The noise and terrible shaking went on for only a few minutes more before it went quiet again except for the howl of the wind outside. No one moved for a long time, concerned something else might happen but it stayed still.

"Sergeant, what happened." Feral finally asked quietly.

"The hurricane had changed direction and came right over us. We barely had time to run down here before it ripped the top of the school away." Fallon said shakily.

"Damn! That can only mean........." T-Bone growled. Without finishing the sentence, he and Razor ran toward the stairs they'd come down and went to see if they were trapped.

"Oh this is not good T-Bone." Razor said some minutes later as they looked at the stairwell that was now choked with tons of cement, timbers and other debris.

"That's an understatement, buddy." T-Bone rumbled unhappily. He changed the frequency in his helmet radio and called the Commander.

"What's it look like?" Feral asked, afraid of the answer.

"It's bad. The stairwell is completely blocked with cement and timbers. No way out except by heavy equipment." The sandy tom told him bluntly.

"Kat's Alive!" Feral cursed. "Alright, have a look around and see if there is any other exit or window around. I'll send my enforcers to look for more supplies we can use in case we're trapped here a while." Feral grumbled unhappily.

"Right, get back to you soon." T-Bone answered.

For the next thirty minutes, they searched every room. Every now and then they heard or encountered the enforcers searching for supplies. It was a disappointing search when they didn't find a window anywhere. The only good news was there seemed to be no threat of the ceiling caving in. Disappointed, they returned to the huddled group.

As they got closer they heard the loud crying of kittens. They were huddled close together, terror making their eyes huge. The caretakers did their best but the poor things we're just too terrified and cried inconsolably.

Feral grimaced worriedly. The news from the SWAT Kats hadn't been good. His enforcers had managed to find more flashlights and other odds and ends.

The other good news, was the adults in this group had stored food stuffs from the school kitchen above and all the blankets they could find, a radio and some books and toys to help keep the kittens distracted and hauled them down to this corner.

He was also glad that someone had the foresight, when this place was built, to install bathrooms down here and to their relief the water faucets still worked. With the other stuff his enforcers had found they should be comfortable enough until rescuers could get them out.

Still, the noise from the school being trashed had frighten not just the kittens but many of the adults and their crying and loud wails of fear was beginning to wear on him. He'd tried to get them to calm down without much success. They were just too upset.

Out of the shadows, the SWAT Kats returned from their fruitless hunt for an escape route. They walked back up to Feral to brief him on what they'd found.

"Sorry to say, Commander, but there is no other escape from here. We're truly stuck." Razor said grimly.

Feral sighed and frowned. "I was afraid of that. Well, I've already contacted dispatch and told them where we're at. I've been informed the storm has shifted again and managed to take out Megakat Tower and is very slowly moving back to the bay. So far it looks like it will be a few hours more before the danger is over. So help won't be able to get here for a bit." Feral grunted then winced at a particularly loud wail behind him. "Wish we could calm the kittens, but I guess they will have to just tire themselves out first."

"They are pretty frightened." T-Bone sighed, the cries getting to him too.

The three of them moved back to the huddled group. Feral tried to soothe everyone and told them that they had to be brave. They would be gotten out of here soon but not until after the storm was safely passed.

As Feral spoke with the group, T-Bone wandered around a bit. He nosed in the boxes the enforcers had found and had placed in a pile against the wall of the assembly room. Poking around he discovered a box of instruments. In the light of his helmet light, he spotted a beat up old guitar, its strings still intact. A grin of delight lit his face.

He carried it back to the group and waited until Feral had finished talking before bringing out the guitar.

"Here Feral! They need something else to concentrate on and I can't think of anything better than music." He said with a broad smile.

Feral blinked at him in shock. T-Bone practically shoved the guitar into his paws then leaned close. "Come on, Commander. Your voice will help keep them calm and will pass the time faster."

The dark tom stared down at the guitar than back up at the SWAT Kat. He'd thought he'd heard it wrong when the SWAT Kat had mentioned they'd heard his singing before but it was obvious, they truly had. Now he wanted him to sing publically. He swallowed rather nervously at that thought as he hadn't performed before anyone since he was young.

But the burly pilot was right. Music would help the situation when they couldn't do anything else. So sighing, he made everyone get comfortable, had the caretakers hand out some snacks to the kittens then asked them to be quiet and he would sing and play for them.

The kittens eyed him in surprise and went silent as did the adults. They watched as he tuned the old guitar with a knowing touch. His enforcers were staring at him with surprise as well as they prepared to rest and watch.

"Okay, this is called 'Pussy Willows and Cattails'." Feral rumbled then launched into a light and airy song that immediately captivated everyone listening.

Over the next few hours Feral entertained them with happy and fun songs that had the kittens clapping along or listening avidly.

The enforcers eyed their Commander in amazement at this display of a hidden talent none had known he possessed. The SWAT Kats simply grinned and enjoyed the concert immensely.


	4. Chapter 4

**HURRICANE!!!!**

Chapter 4: Aftermath

By the time Feral's voice was getting too tired to continue the sounds of digging and machinery was heard. Over the Commander's radio, came his second in command voice.

"Commander Feral? Are you alright,sir?" Lt. Commander Jenson asked.

"We're fine. The storm over?" Feral asked. Around him people were rising to their feet in excitement.

"Yes sir! Blew out over the bay about an hour ago. Took us a bit to get here because of all the storm damage. There's no place to land so we had to use tanks and that wasn't easy either."

"Well, you're here now and that's all that matters. How long before we can get out of here?"

"The engineers say about thirty minutes sir. Stay away from the stairs while they work." Jenson warned.

"That's affirmative. We are at the north corner away from the stairs anyway." Feral told him.

"Perfect." Jenson commented then apparently turned away to pass that information on before he was back with them again. "Want a report while you wait sir?"

"Yes. What shape is the city in? Just give me the highlights." Feral ordered and sat down again to listen. The group sighed collectively and sat as well. The kittens had fallen asleep and it was quiet in the basement.

"Well sir, all the tall building in the city have shattered windows, there is a great deal of debris on the enforcer flight line, city hall clock tower is damaged, one of the fuel tanks at the refinery nearest the bay has ruptured so we have a massive oil slick to clean up, the center of the Megakat Bay Bridge has broken and the rest is just hanging by their cables, the airport suffered broken glass in their tower windows but since they managed to get most of the planes out of here, there was less damage there, the same for the shipping port, most of the oil tankers made it out of here, the one that didn't is listing on its side leaking more oil, MASA had a rocket fall and spill rocket fuel on the ground in a large pool, electricity is still out over most of the city, water is polluted and people are being asked to boil before using, hospitals are very busy with the injured. We lucked out there that there have been only forty reported deaths so far. That's the highlights, sir." Jenson said on a sigh.

Feral just sat there with a tired look on his face. It was probably worse than Jenson was saying. He looked over at the SWAT Kats. Their faces were grim and unhappy. It was going to take a long time for the city to recover from this.

"We'll help out, Commander. Just tell us what you need done to get the city back on its feet again." T-Bone said sincerely. Razor nodded in agreement.

Feral gave a wane smile. 'What an unusual situation.....the SWAT Kats helping out the enforcers. Disaster makes strange bedfellows.' He mused, shaking his fingers a bit. They were sore from playing that long and his voice was hoarse.

"Thank you. I expect we will all be very busy for weeks to come." He sighed.

"Here Commander, let me see your paws...." Razor said reaching for one of them.

Feral eyed Razor warily but held one paw out. Razor took it and began to massage each finger firmly. The Commander blinked in surprise, but didn't pull away since it was easing the stiffness in his digits. Razor methodically did each finger then released them. Feral stretched and closed his paws.

"Thank you. That feels much better." Feral said in pleased amazement.

"You're welcome. You should use Terri's Herbal Massage Cream on them. It will keep them supple and ease any stiffness." Razor told him with a lopsided smile.

"I'll do that."

They sat in companionable silence as the others in the group talked and prepared to leave.

It actually took more than forty minutes to free the trapped Kats. Outside dusk had fallen making the trip back to safer areas much harder. The group of adults and kittens were split up among the tanks that had arrived to rescue them.

As for the tanks the SWAT Kats and Feral had parked outside, there was no sign of them. The hurricane had apparently whisked them away.

In the dark they really couldn't see the damage that clearly. Tomorrow would be soon enough to see how bad a shape their city was in.

Feral rode along with the SWAT Kats and Lt. Commander Jenson. "You should get some rest, sir. There will be just as much work tomorrow as today. I have set up shifts for our troops to begin cleanup. Its going to take a long time." He murmured quietly.

Feral sighed and nodded, his voice too sore to speak much. He closed his eyes in exhaustion and sadness. The SWAT Kats were silent as well.

When they reached Enforcer Headquarters, their guests were taken to the medical wing to be seen to, Feral checked in with his command and went to check out the damage, while the SWAT Kats went to the hangar.

Attempting to taxi out the Turbokat turned out to be out of the question. Like Lt. Commander Jenson had said, the flight line was covered in glass and building debris. They decided to take the Commander up on getting a meal and a shower but opted to sleep in their jet's cargo hold so that they didn't have to be on the alert against hostile enforcers that didn't appreciate them being there.

The next morning, T-Bone offered to take Feral for a ride in the Turbokat to view the city. With their VTOL capabilities, they could pause longer to study certain areas.

The flight line had been cleared by the night shift but was still damaged enough to prevent the enforcers from launching their jets though their choppers could and did take off to do rescue missions.

Feral frowned in thought a moment and decided the offer was a good one. Leaving Jenson in charge of the cleanup around Enforcer Headquarters, Feral climbed aboard the Turbokat and squeezed next to Razor in a small jumpseat. He didn't complain about tight quarters as he made a request.

"I think we should go to see Ms. Briggs and get an update and see how city hall and that area looks." He said after a moments thought.

"Good idea. Next stop city hall." T-Bone acknowledged through his radio. He carefully taxi far enough from the hangar to clear it then went VTOL off the building. As they went upward, the view below was depressing.

Feral winced at the sky view of his headquarters.

"Crud!" T-Bone muttered.

"What a mess!" Razor said in awe.

T-Bone held their position for a moment as they all stared. The top ten floors of the building had all the glass blown out. The control tower had no glass and its roof had been torn off. Though the flight line was cleared of large objects, it was still covered in enough FOD to make it hazardous to taxi off. The tabby was mentally glad he'd not taken some of that debris into his engine intakes when he took off.

He put the jet in forward motion and began their flight to city hall. All along the way was sheer devastation. It looked like the hurricane swept through the center of town because that appeared to be where the most damage was. They could see other areas seemed untouched except for the water that was at least three feet deep in many places.

The winds had done their share of damage though. Everywhere was downed power lines, flipped cars, downed trees, anything loose was sent hurtling toward store fronts that hadn't been boarded for safety and shattered the glass. Fire hydrants in many spots were shooting water high into the sky from either a vehicle or tree or power pole striking them.

Despite the early hour, they saw Katizens out and about picking up the pieces.

It was a very sober threesome that arrived at city hall. T-Bone put them down on the chopper pad on top of the clock tower. Somehow the pad had managed to not get debris spilled all over it. The absolute top of the tower, the spire at the top, was blown away though.

They climbed out of the jet and went through the clock tower door and went down the short distance to the Mayor's office. Going through the Deputy Mayor's door, they found Briggs cleaning up her area. The glass had blown in and her office was a total mess.

She looked up when she heard someone open her door. A relieved smile lit her face.

"I am so glad to see you three are still with us." She said. Callie was wearing a pink sweatsuit and her hair was a sweaty mess around her face.

"And we're glad you're okay as well. We came by to get an update then we're going to do a survey of the storm damage." Feral told her as he looked around her office and could see through the pass through door to the Mayor's office that it was a mess as well.

"Together?" She asked in surprise.

"Well their jet is capable of VTOL which makes it easier to stop and study areas easier. I can't launch any jets due to the significant damage to the flight line. My choppers, however, are able to take off and are doing patrols to search for any that need assistance and to get a feel for how the Katizens are doing. Have you received reports of deaths and injuries yet?" He asked her.

"No, my phone's down as is the cell phone towers apparently so I'm out of the loop at the moment. You've got a good idea so I'd appreciate it if you'll get me all the information you can. Also, see how long it will take to get electricity, water, and phone service back up." She said thinking quickly.

"Right. We'll do that and get back to you as soon as we're able." Feral said.

"You guys just contact me through your communicator. I think the radios are the only things that are working right now." Callie said with a sigh.

Razor and T-Bone gaped at her in surprise. Feral gave a low chuckle.

"Gotcha! Actually, I already knew you had some way to talk to her so don't be so shocked."

The pair looked chagrin but shrugged it off. It hardly mattered now and Callie was right, it would help to get her updated without them having to return to city hall regularly.

"Alright, let's get going, its going to be a very long day." Feral grunted, turning to leave.

"Yeah, you're right there. See you later Ms. Briggs." T-Bone said.

Callie just smiled and waved as she returned to her cleanup work.

Very soon they were back in the air. By the time they set down for the last time, some hours after darkness had fallen, the three were disheartened and exhausted.

Besides the litany of damage Jenson had given, Feral was still unprepared for the true picture of the sheer devastation they'd encountered all day. The path of devastation had gone from where the hurricane had hit land near the refinery near the bay, swept onward toward the Megakat Bay Bridge taking out the center span, continuing onward through the heart of the city before circling over the airport and MASA before finally heading back out to sea. The damages were greater than any attack by any omega.

Besides assessing the damage, they stopped and rendered aid wherever they could, transported Kats to hospitals, helped get power back on line in areas by using the jet to haul up new poles while electricians reconnected the lines, and airlift Kats from flood zones.

Feral had changed his clothes to a set of coveralls for better ease of getting in and out of the jet and for some of the work they ended up doing so he was ready when they ended up doing three very dangerous rescues.

The first rescue had occurred about halfway through their day. They were passing over a residential area that had been flooded when T-Bone had spotted a family of four huddling on top of the roof of their home that was sinking due to the flood waters surrounding it.

T-Bone went to VTOL and lowered the jet as far as he dared, then Razor and Feral went into the cargo hold where Razor lowered their rescue basket with him in it. Feral coordinated the rescue with T-Bone in raising and lowering the basket as well as off loading each family member as Razor loaded and sent them up to him.

It took a good forty minutes to get the family aboard safely then another fifteen to take them to a medical facility.

The next one occurred while they were checking some of the levees and were passing over swollen canals when they came across a car bobbing in the water with a male clinging desperately to its top. This was a really tricky rescue since the water was rushing the car along.

T-Bone moved the jet until it was doing the same speed as the car. With Feral standing by, Razor went down a cable with a harness on and a second one for the male.

Razor's first attempt was a miss as he slid off the slick car. His second attempt succeeded because he shot his grappling line into the top of the car which was a very dangerous thing to do. If the water made the car shift sharply or it became caught on a snag, Razor could be throw into the rushing water. The rescue had to be done quickly, so Razor got the harness around the Kat's waist and signaled Feral to hoist him up. The guy screamed as he was hoisted into the air and pulled quickly up to the jet. Razor released his first line and rappeled back up on a second one from his glovatrix.

Feral snagged the frightened male and pulled him to safety. Snagging a blanket, he wrapped the shaking tom and strapped him into a jump seat. He opted to stay with the male and Razor shut the door and went back up to the cockpit. Another stop to the hospital was made and they were off again.

Their last rescue of the day was near dusk as they were heading back to city hall to give Callie a more indepth report when Feral spotted the downed power line laying across a car. Razor used his x-ray scanner to determine if anyone was in the car. Two people sat close together, too frightened to move.

Razor ordered T-Bone to go to VTOL and hover over the car while he tried to use a wire clipper missile to cut the line far enough up the pole that it would be away from anyone else as well as the car. Using great care, Razor fired his missile and cut the line where he'd wanted it. The sparking line was now high in the air freeing the car and the harmless end fell to the ground.

Using his radio, Feral reported the hot line to the power company while Razor went down to the car by the rescue basket. He ran to the car and told the passengers it was safe to get out. After determining they were unharmed and could get home on their own, Razor returned to the jet.

After giving Callie a current report, they returned to Enforcer Headquarters.

"We need to go home and see how much damage is around our place, Commander. Want us to return in the morning?" T-Bone asked before letting Feral leave the jet.

Feral nodded. "Yeah, do that. See you at ten o'clock."

They eyed him in surprise. "I need to stay in the office and take care of business before taking off again." He explained. They nodded understanding and said farewell as Feral jumped down and hurried across the flight line.

The jet lifted off and hurried back to its hangar. To their tired dismay, they found their entry door covered with salvage that had been blown off its nearby stack and tossed over the sliding door. Groaning, tirededly, T-Bone dropped the jet behind the garage. It was a good thing it was dark outside and that they were on the edge of town.

They spent the next hour clearing the entry door then T-Bone flew it down into the hangar. They could barely move so gave up any idea to try and check the damage in the yard and chose to get cleaned up and go to bed.

The next morning, they rose early and went out into the yard. To their relief their foresight in covering the salvage had paid off more or less. What damage there was took them only an hour and half to set right. They were done in time to clean up and take off for Enforcer Headquarters for another long day of work.

For the next few weeks, everyone worked hard to clean up the debris and helping each other. Callie gave the Mayor her report when he finally returned to his office at least a week after the hurricane had gone. He had her give a press conference with the data they had collected.

A total of 120 Kats had died and over 3,000 had been injured. The cost of repairing the city was in the millions. Power had finally been restored as well as phone service and the water plant had been able to lift the water restriction ban after a week. Many Kats had been rendered homeless and emergency aid programs were working overtime to help them. Schools were still closed for another week and trash pickup was being done where no damage had occurred. Enforcers with civilian contractors were working tirelessly to clear the streets, clean up the oil slick in the bay and continue to keep a close eye on the still flooded canals. The enforcers also had their paws full preventing looting of damaged businesses and homes.

It was estimated that it would take over six months to a year for Megakat City to completely recover.


	5. Chapter 5

**HURRICANE!!!!**

Chapter 5: Recovery

Feral was disgusted. He was trying to relax at home for the first time in weeks since the cleanup of the city had begun and was watching the news. It was that which had him grimacing unhappily.

Katseye News was doing a series of stories on what had happened during the hurricane. Some were about the people that had been trapped and their harrowing experiences, others were about the brave Kats that had tried to hold back the flood waters with sand bags, scenes of enforcers helping people escaping the storm and fighting to keep the city running when the high winds made that nearly impossible, scenes of looting by unscrupulous Kats, and other pics of enforcer tanks forcing their way through a ruined city.

Then there were the more personal interest stories.

A quick piece was on the SWAT Kats and how they were the ones to brave the hurricane itself to give the city as early a warning as possible then helped to rescue stranded enforcers, volunteers and victims. How Deputy Mayor Briggs single-handedly kept the city running during the crisis. But the most surprising news was the stories by rescuees of the SWAT Kats and the Chief Enforcer working together aboard the Turbokat and saving them.

This story plus another caused a real buzz around the city. It helped to take their minds off their problems for a little while. The second story that had caused eyes to widen and tongues to wag was what Feral had done while trapped in a school basement with the SWAT Kats, teachers, and kittens.

On the screen, Ann Gora was shown interviewing a small group of kittens_. "So you say that while you were trapped in the school basement the SWAT Kats and Commander Feral appeared and tried to help you?" She asked a ten year old._

"_Yeth! We were really scared but they showed up and we thought we would be leaving but then there was a big boom and everything shook and....and .....it was scary.....I was crying with the others even after the noise stopped. T-Bone found an old guitar and gave it to the Commander. We were so surprised when he began to sing and play the guitar for us. It helped keep the younger kittens quiet and helped pass the time until we were rescued." The little she-kat said excitedly, nearly running her words together._

_Ann smiled down at the kitten whose mother pulled her back and hugged her. "Well, there you have it folks. Apparently, our Chief Enforcer has been hiding a special talent that helped keep a group of kittens calm until their rescue. According to witnesses, the Commander has a very beautiful voice and the songs were ones he'd written when he was very young. All I can say is, its nice to know there is a warmer side to our gruff Commander. This is Ann Gora at Katseye News and now back to you Tab."_

Feral scowled and savagely flicked the image away. 'Great! Now everyone knows about my 'hobby'.'

Though annoyed by this new notoriety, Feral just shoved it aside in his mind for a later time. He was bone tired. He'd spent the day as he did most days lately, working to repair the Enforcer Building. Since damage in one huge section of the city was extensive, contractors were swamped trying to keep up with the work, necessitating some to do the work themselves if they were skilled enough. Those that weren't, did the clean up work.

Feral was a dab hand at electrical stuff and light carpentry so was working with the more skilled artisans around their building. In between doing that, he kept up with his increased workload in his office while staying on top of the mini-crime wave that was going on by small minded Kats trying to make a buck.

Many of these petty criminals were scamming people on construction work, insurance claims, suing claims, car repair, or just plain looting damaged homes that people couldn't return to. It made for a nightmare of paperwork and a pain in the tail to monitor.

Oddly enough, as promised, the SWAT Kats proved to be a bigger help in keeping most of the burglary stuff down and helped with the heavy lifting around the city. Just their presence alone as they zipped around the city helping, deterred most of the criminal element.

The most recent things they'd done was help lift the repaired spire on the top of city hall while workers reattached it to its base; lift damaged trees away and carry them to a sawmill; pull power poles into place so power and phone could be connected again more quickly; carried civil engineers around the city to assess the sites that needed major repair, such as canals and the Megakat Bridge. They helped there as well by hauling away the damaged span before it could fall and pollute the bay. Later they would help put a new span in place when it was finished.

They also helped right the huge tanker that had been shoved over so its keel was visible and was leaking fuel out the huge rent in its side. Though the environmental clean up crew was getting the oil up, the SWAT Kats helped by using a tarpedo followed by cement to seal the hole in the tanker then righting it.

Though loathe to admit it publicly, privately he thanked them for their valuable help and personally, he was relieved at how fast the city was able to recover the basics due to their assistance.

Sighing, he ended his ruminating and shoved himself from his chair with a groan. A hot bath would be great right now to ease his aching muscles.

On the far side of the city, a pair of exhausted heros were also taking hot showers to relieve aching bodies.

"Crud! I haven't been this tired and sore in a long time." Chance grumbled as he dragged himself to the kitchen to fix something to eat.

"Me either!" Jake mumbled as he tried to stay awake long enough to eat the tuna sandwich and milk he'd made himself. "Glad no one's wanted their cars back that we have in the shop or brought any work to us, though I feel bad that we can't do any towing. We've gotten so many calls for it that I had to disconnect the machine for now."

"Man, that's going to cost us! We probably would have made enough money to pay a good chunk on our debt." Chance groaned unhappily as he dropped into his seat and began eating.

"Can't be helped!" Jake sighed.

"I know.......glad we're getting the city on its feet so quickly. Think we'll be done soon?"

"Hard to say......maybe in a few days we'll know for sure." Jake said, shrugging.

"Hope so." His partner mumbled then yawned.

They both finished, put their plates in the sink and went to bed.

It took over four months of hard work to make the city functioning again and another two months to make it look like the hurricane had never happened.

The aftermath though was another matter. When people had time to focus on their lives again rather than survival, questions began to arise.

Most notably was why the Deputy Mayor was the one taking care of the city in the crisis and not the Mayor? Why the SWAT Kats had to be used for storm monitoring rather than the Enforcers or civil air patrol?

These question caused a rumbling of discontent and a demand for answers from the public. Mayor Manx found himself in an uncomfortable position trying to explain his absence.

Without actually pointing blame, Feral managed to convey that lack of funds was the reason the enforcers couldn't fly in hurricane winds due to outdated jets.

One thing the public didn't find fault with was the enforcers quick response to the danger. They were pleased at how the enforcers got the city prepared as fast as they could, continued to do their duty under extremely hazardous conditions, kept looting down, and aided victims as fast as they were able.

The Deputy Mayor's quick action to get out warnings to the public then her unwavering devotion to duty that kept her at city hall trying to keep it running twenty-four hours a day was nothing short of amazing to them and definitely appreciated.

Then there were the SWAT Kats. They were already heros in the eyes of the public but they fairly shone brightly now from their unselfish duty to the city, but what surprised everyone, was the public felt Feral and Briggs deserved that limelight as well.

Though he was a little tight-jawed about sharing the spotlight with the SWAT Kats, he kept his behavior cordial since the attention could lead to things improving for his enforcers and he'd do anything to see that happen, even kissing up to the public by standing by the SWAT Kats. He still made it clear that the enforcers could not accept the pair as legitimate due to their vigilante status, but that he could thank them for their assistance.

The press were all over the major flap that was occurring in the city council chambers about Manx's behavior. He'd finally done something none of them could accept. Impeachment was the word of the day and spread like wildfire around the city.

Manx protested as loudly as he dared but even he was shrewd enough to realize his days as Mayor were numbered.

Calico Briggs was not really happy about being considered the next Mayor. The position was full of political bullshit work that she despised. The hobnobbing with the wealthy to beg for funds wasn't something high on her list either. Such things prevented her from doing the real work of running the city, she felt. But the steamroller that was public opinion felt she could. Seeing the writing on the wall, Callie hurriedly looked for a competent, deputy mayor that could pick up the scut work she'd done for years.

It took a couple of months, but the council and the public managed to oust Manx. They did allow him a modest pension and mandatory retirement rather than punishment. After all, he did run the city fairly well for ten terms. They wouldn't have been so magnanimous if they'd learned he'd squandered most of the treasury's funds on money making schemes. But Callie felt it wise not to bring that up at all.

So here it was, a new Spring and Calico Briggs was being sworn in as the new Mayor pro tem, until official elections could be held, later that year. Everyone felt she would be a shoe-in for the position. Meanwhile, Callie had managed to find a competent and personable replacement for Deputy Mayor and he stood nearby to be acknowledged.

"Thank you, katizens of Megakat City for giving me this honor to serve you. I promise to do my best and my first action in office is to select Jarret Freebolt as your new Deputy Mayor." Callie turned to Jarret who came forward and nodded to the public then stepped back. "My next promise is to review the budget and meet with the council on increasing the budget for the enforcers that will help them upgrade their badly outdated equipment and training programs."

The crowd near the city hall steps, cheered wildly. The press conference went on for over an hour before finally being brought to an end by the new Mayor.

With all the changes going on, Feral hoped the information about his singing would just disappear in all the hoopla. At first, that seemed to be happening and Feral went about his duties with a lift in his step at the prospect of finally getting on even footing with the SWAT Kats tech.

Unfortunately, there were those that were just waiting for the right time and it wasn't long before he was being badgered by record companies to record his music. The argument most of them used was it would be great PR for him in the public's eyes. A Commander who was a songwriter and singer would put their city on the map and help Katizens regain their spirit after the beating they took from the hurricane.

Feral personally thought that argument to be a low blow. If he refused, he would be labeled a curmudgeon and many would once more think of him as cold and unfeeling now that peace reigned again. He never really cared how the public perceived him. Respect was good enough but ridicule that he suffered often by the SWAT Kats and touted loudly in the press, that he could do without.

So now he was caught in a political net that said he should do this no matter how he felt personally. And, actually, personally he didn't like his private pleasure to be commercialized and force fed to the public. To him it felt like he was seeking publicity for his own use.

It didn't seem he could win no matter what stance he took. Troubled, he finally went to see the new Mayor. Perhaps she would have an idea how he could reconcile this dilemna.

Callie poured them some coffee and handed a cup to Ulysses as she returned to the couch they both were sitting on in her new office. She took a sip and eyed Feral over the rim of her cup. He looked truly unhappy and her mind raced over what could be done about this situation. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Ulysses, I may have a way that will satisfy the public and give you autonomy over how your music is produced and whether you wish to do more beyond that." She said thoughtfully.

Feral's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh, how?"

"Well, I happen to be very good friends with a small record producer. She handles singers that like a small venue for their music and aren't interested in performing concerts. These are people like you that just like doing these things without much fanfare or monetary concern. The producer and owner of Peaceful Tunes is Kelly Strongfur and she insures you get only what you want out of this and nothing more. She does the recordings, the pressing, advertising, and distribution while giving you the control on how much and how far you want to go." She explained.

"That does sound like what I want, even though what I really want is for everyone to just forget about it, but I know that won't happen. Guess I should see her." Feral sighed in resignation.

Callie smiled in sympathy. "I'll give her a call and set up a meeting for you both. When will it be convenient for you?" She asked, rising to her feet and going to her desk.

Feral followed her and pulled out a planner from his pocket. Looking it over, he named a date and time and Callie wrote it down.

"I'll call her today, sometime and let you know. Don't worry Commander, Kelly will take care of you and I can't wait to hear the cd when it comes out." She said warmly.

Feral blushed a bit at that and thanked her, returning to work.

Less than two months later, a small record company published a cd of some sixteen tunes and distributed them to a handful of places around the city. To no surprise of the producer, the cd called 'Music That Soothes the Soul' by Ulysses Feral became an overnight sensation. She was forced to produce more copies quickly.

Feral made an embarrassing amount of money which he quickly invested into his new training program for the enforcers. That added to the funds he was now getting from the city budget, was already showing in the new, more advanced equipment, tanks, jets, and choppers that were being produced for them and in the new influx of young Kats joining the force. Feral was happier than he'd ever been since he took office.

Callie sat in her office, a full four months since becoming Mayor, and listened to a cd while she worked. Her door opened to reveal some very welcome guests.

"T-Bone, Razor! Welcome to my new digs." She smiled warmly at them, rising from her seat to give each a kiss on the cheek.

Both males grinned foolishly, Razor blushing from the kiss.

"We never got a chance to congratulate you. Way to go Mayor Briggs. The city is looking good." Razor said warmly.

"Yeah, you deserve it and we intend to vote for you in the next election." T-Bone added with a grin.

"Thanks guys." She said, smiling hugely. She was about to say something more when T-Bone interrupted her.

"What's that playing?" He asked cocking an ear toward the music he'd just noticed.

Callie grinned. "Just listen."

They stood quietly and listened to the music.

"Wow! That's Feral! How did you get a recording of him?" T-Bone asked in surprise enjoying the music.

"It's his cd. It's all the rage. He really didn't want to record himself but public pressure forced him to. He's keeping it low key though and not going on concert tours or producing more of this for a while." Callie said.

"Oh wow! I've got to get a copy. What's the title." T-Bone said excitedly.

Callie couldn't help but be amazed at how much the big tabby enjoyed his antagonist's music. She had to admit it was more pleasant around here when Feral and the SWAT Kats cooperated together. Made for a better working environment and was better for the city as well.

"It's called "Music That Soothes the Soul'." She told him.

"Perfect title for that kind of music." T-Bone said. "So what did you want to see us about?"

"Oh, I have a little surprise for you." Callie smirked. She went to her desk and unlocked a drawer. From it she withdrew a small but heavy bag. Walking back over to them she handed it to Razor. "Here you go. This is a reward by the Katizens of Megakat City for all the great work you've done for it. Hopefully, it will recoup any income you lost by doing your duty." She said warmly.

Razor frowned and looked into the bag. His eyes widened in shock as he saw what was in it. "We can't take this?" He finally blurted.

T-Bone was puzzled and leaned over to look in the bag as well and gasped.

"Crud! How much is in there and why cash?" He asked in shock.

"Yes you can accept, its free and clear. The monies are from a fund drive run by the school children you helped protect. It is yours legally and it's $5,104. 16. They set little cans all around the city and people put their change in it. They started it some months ago and presented the total proceeds to me to give to you." Callie said firmly.

Both SWAT Kats blushed, embarrassed by this show of support from a grateful city.

"Uhh.....gee this is wonderful. Please convey our deepest gratitude to them Ms. Briggs. They didn't have to do this but we certainly appreciate it." Razor said, emotion roughening his voice a little.

"You're entirely welcome."

Overwhelmed, they gave her a hug and left with their unexpected treasure. Callie sighed and smiled to herself as she went to the window and watched the Turbokat fly off over the city. 'What a difference a disaster can make.' She thought before returning to her duties.

End.


End file.
